Multilingual youth language practices on Instagram in Azerbaijan

Abstract

English is being used more often than ever in a variety of spheres of life, including social media. English language usage has been increasingly common on social media sites, and Azerbaijan is no exception. This thesis investigates how Azerbaijani users use English on Instagram, paying particular attention to their language practices, the motives behind these preferences and code-switching occurrences. The study examines the language used in Instagram captions, different forms of code-switching, and the outcomes of an online questionnaire of 118 social media platform users. In this mixed-methods study design, collection, and analysis of the qualitative part preceded the quantitative part. An online survey for young Instagram users provided quantitative data from 118 respondents in total. For the qualitative part, 200 Instagram captions of 10 Instagram users (each last 20 posts) were observed and analyzed accordingly. The results show that although a considerable percentage of respondents use English on Instagram, it is not the most common language. The study also identified several different types of code-switching. Instagram users prefer English for a variety of purposes, from improving language skills to reaching a worldwide Instagram audience.